John hoff



( No Model.)

J. HOFP.

THILL COUPLING.

No. 439,245. I Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

r a A I (l Z WITNESSES: F INVENTOR:

V BY 3.44M

ATTORNEY.

m: mums ps-rzns cm, wuTo-umm, WASHINGTON n c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HOFF, OF OWINGS MILLS, MARYLAND THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 439,245, dated October 28, 1890.

Application filed March 4, 1890. Serial No. 342,602. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HOFF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Owings Mills, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thin-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invent-ion relates to a certain improvement in thill-couplings, which is illustrated in the acoompanyingdrawings.

Figure 1 is a side View of the device with the thill-iron, the bolt, and retaining-spring in position to hold the bolt. Fig. 2 is a side view of the clip portion with the thill-iron and bolt removed and the retaining-spring in the down position. Fig. 3 is a top view with part of the ears, the thill-iron, and reraining-spring shown in section and exposing the bolt. Fig. 4 shows two views of the re,- taining-spring. Fig. 5 is a View of the bolt. Fig.6 shows a modification of the bolt, which is square adjoining the head.

The letter A designates the thill-iron, B the axle, and O the axle-clip with the ears a a, each of which is provided with a bolt-hole b to receive the thill-bolt c. The bolt-hole bin One end of this spring is secured to the side of the ear by a pivot f. The other end being free to swing, is provided with a hole 6, which engages with a pin e, secured to the side of the ear a. The pin 6 holds the retaining-spring cl stationary when in position over the bolt-head c'-.

The mode of operation is as follows: To take out the thill-iron the free end of the retaining-spring d is drawn out of engagement with the pin 6 and turned down to the position indicated in Fig. 2, thus uncovering'the bolthead and allowing the bolt to be drawn out and the thill-iron removed from its position between the ears a a, If it is desired to put the thill-iron into place, the reverse operation is used.

Having described my invention, I claim In combination,a thin-coupling having a thill-iron, an axle-clip with ears attached, one ear having at its side a pin e, a coupling-bolt to hold the thill-iron, and a spring-plate in contact with the side of the ear which has the pin and pivoted thereto by one end and the free end provided with a hole to engage with said pin, said spring-plate pressing directly against the head of the coupling-bolt, as shown and described.

.In testimony WhereofI aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WVitnesses:

JOHN E. MORRIS, JNo. T. MAnnoX.

JoHNneErj 

